Mahindra & Mahindra, the leading utility vehicle maker in the Indian market, launched its new pick-up truck – Genio – in the country, on Thursday. The Genio is a commercial vehicle that is based on the Mahindra Xylo platform.
While speaking to the media persons on the occasion, Mahindra & Mahindra President (Automotive and Farm Equipment Sector), Pawan Goenka said, "This is just the begining. You will see (going forward) a fairly high frequency of launches from M&M this year. And in the coming year, you will have a few more from this platform." Mr. Goenka added that the Genio's vehicle architecture is based on the Ingenio platform which M&M has used earlier and gives superior cab design, chassis and proven aggregates of engine and transmission and delivers a car-like comfort and space.
The BS-III version of the new Genio pick-up has been launched with a price tag of Rs 4.99-lakh (ex showroom Navi Mumbai). While in the cities where the new BS-IV emission norms are applicable, a BS-IV compatible variant has been launched that costs approximately Rs 16,000 higher than its BS-III counterpart.
Mr. Rajesh Jejurikar, Chief Executive (automotive division) M&M, told to reporters, “The size of the pick-up industry is more than 6,500 vehicles per month. The segment saw a subdued growth of around 5 per cent last year, owing mainly to the lack of new launches. The Genio should be able to address the needs of customers like small businessmen.”
Sporting a 2.5-litre CRDe diesel engine, the new Mahindra pick-up is capable of delivering a peak power of 75bhp. The payload capacity of the vehicle is 1275 kg.
